<p>A team of ex-Apple engineers in the early 90s made a product that flopped worse than the Newton but might be the reason we have iPhones today. We look at the little-known history of General Magic and the newly released documentary about the company.</p>





<h3 id="follow-up">Follow Up</h3><ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZndWqcqisAc">"Bungie's Humble Beginnings" video</a></li>
</ul>








  

    
  
    

      

      
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              intrinsic
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            <img class="thumb-image" data-image="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5458349de4b0204ad4a48a6d/1572715923861-CBLJL9C8Q27E14UI6M5R/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kKT96-mTqGc-stp-zZRIm9p7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1UTNp7wJXdR1xX66M6thRzqrQ6_o4HcW8ZfkNO26r5aioETgZ1M0luSsj-o69URGWyw/General+Magic+poster.jpg" data-image-dimensions="1536x2048" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" alt="General Magic poster.jpg" data-load="false" data-image-id="5dbdbd930ba1c504ec84b1c6" data-type="image" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5458349de4b0204ad4a48a6d/1572715923861-CBLJL9C8Q27E14UI6M5R/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kKT96-mTqGc-stp-zZRIm9p7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1UTNp7wJXdR1xX66M6thRzqrQ6_o4HcW8ZfkNO26r5aioETgZ1M0luSsj-o69URGWyw/General+Magic+poster.jpg?format=1000w" />
          
        
          
        

        
      
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<h3 id="general-magic">General Magic</h3><ul>
<li><a href="https://www.generalmagicthemovie.com">the documentary</a><ul>
<li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/general-magic/id1458835312">iTunes link</a> </li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/MacWorld_9308_August_1993/page/n51?q=general+magic">early Macworld writeup</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Anza_College#Flint_Center">Flint Center</a><ul>
<li><a href="https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/sections/news/60272-foothill-de-anza-board-votes-to-close-flint-center">2019 announcement of demolition</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org">The Aspen Institute</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.folklore.org">folklore.org</a></li>
<li>room metaphor<ul>
<li><a href="http://macintoshgarden.org/games/glider-312">Glider</a></li>
<li><a href="http://macintoshgarden.org/apps/kiddesk-family-edition">KidDesk</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Bob">Microsoft Bob</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing#Early_history">first use of <em>cloud</em></a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Link">Sony Magic Link</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRexVI4PA3A">Fadell interview at Computer History Museum</a></li>
</ul>

e87 – Desktop Publishing

A podcast looking back at the history of Apple and the Mac community. Hosted by Ed Cormany and Brian Sutorius.